SmackDown Countdown 2004: Kurt Angle

To call it IGN's most popular recurring feature would be an understatement. And to think that we would ever let a year go by where we didn't revisit the famed SmackDown Countdown is a serious mistake on all parts. So for this, our fourth consecutive year, your friends here at IGNPS2 have returned to the squared circle to once bring you just one step closer to the men and women that do so much to make THQ's successful wrestling franchise what it is: awesome.

And fittingly enough, this year's edition of the fashionable franchise is easily its most ambitious version to date, as WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW marks the first time in the series' history that it takes a step into the online arena. And though this new version does suffer from a slightly smaller roster when compared to last year's Here Comes the Pain, it still manages to pack in an incredible amount of new features that should more than make up for the lack of wrestlers. Refined graphics, smarter AI, better grappling mechanics, and an improved presentation are just a few of the improvements worth mentioning; with several other more subtle refinements, best left for you to the gamer to uncover.

In the meantime, we're dedicating ourselves to bringing our fans the best damn SmackDown coverage they could ever hope for. As we're spending the next seven weeks highlighting all 52 current and legendary superstars on the SmackDown vs. RAW roster in a way we haven't done before. So to do things a little bit differently, we're going to reward dedicated wrestling fans by giving them two wrestlers every Monday and Thursday (the nights that SmackDown! and RAW air on television) in addition to our solo updates on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. When we reach the legends in our countdown, we'll go ahead and up the ante again by providing you with two of them every day until we've reached all eleven. Sound good? Thought so!

But enough with the setup already, let's get the show on the road! So sit back, relax, and enjoy today's Countdown superstar, Kurt Angle!

Height: 6'2"

Real Name: Kurt Angle

Weight:237lbs

Kurt Angle captured national attention in 1996 when he won the 220-pound freestyle wrestling competition at the Olympic Games in Atlanta. To say the least, that was only the beginning of the greatness that is Kurt Angle.

Four years after earning Olympic gold, Angle entered WWE for the first time and earned professional wrestling gold. And then he did it again&#Array;and again&#Array;and again. Just weeks after entering WWE, Angle won the European Championship. A short time later he earned the Intercontinental Championship and also won the 2000 King of the Ring. Shortly after, Angle defeated The Rock at No Mercy to win the WWE Championship. Not bad for a rookie!

But perhaps Angle's most memorable accomplishment came in 2003 when he was shelved with a broken neck after a memorable WrestleMania encounter with Brock Lesnar. Just a few months later, Angle not only stepped back in the ring, but did so to one of the most thundering ovations in WWE history and soon won back the WWE Championship from Lesnar.

Kurt Angle is coming off a stint as General Manager of SmackDown!, where he managed to anger just about everybody on the roster, especially John Cena and Eddie Guerrero. With Angle back on the active roster, it will be interesting to see how he does going up against the same people he bossed around not too long ago.

That's it for today's installment of the 2004 SmackDown Countdown. We'll be back again tomorrow with our next superstar (keep in mind that all statistical attributes are considered temporary until the final version of the game ships this November). In the meantime, check our table below for links to the superstars we've already covered and for hints as to who you can expect to see next. See you again real soon!